New 7,500 Sq. Ft. State of The Art Ford Retailer to Open in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Creating Over 50 New Jobs for the Community

New York, New York – December 10, 2010– Bay Ridge Ford, one of the first new Ford dealerships to open in the United States since the recession began, will officially open the doors to its 7,500 square foot showroom December 15th in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. This state-of-the-art new Ford showroom will generate over 50 new jobs for the Bay Ridge community. Brooklyn’s rate of unemployment is currently over 10%.

Bay Ridge Ford is located at 612 86th Street in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood. Situated on a 27,000 square foot lot, this new dealership will provide ample customer parking and space for a large selection of vehicles on display. The showroom is in a highly-trafficked area right off the Gowanus Expressway in Southeast Brooklyn that has been described as a shopping destination for Brooklynites. The construction and accommodations necessary for this new dealership have generated great financial benefits for Brooklyn. As a result of the new jobs Bay Ridge Ford is creating, it is estimated that the total five-year net fiscal impact will be $569K. The estimated five-year direct City sales tax revenues is approximately $9M. The dealership is also planning to invest in the Brooklyn Army Terminal site with plans to build an unprecedented service and parts center, generating even more revenue for Brooklyn.

Gary Flom, President & CEO of Bay Ridge Ford, said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to open this cutting edge Ford automotive facility in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn that will complement our new, highly acclaimed range of Ford products. With the latest introduction of numerous new models for 2011, we can fulfill the needs of our customers in every segment. With the opening of Bay Ridge Ford, we will be able to focus on doing what we can to enhance the daily lives of our neighbors by providing them with safe and reliable – not to mention Best-in-Class vehicles – and of course, employment.”

With 21 years of experience in the automotive dealership industry, Gary Flom, a decorated United States Marine, has an astute understanding of consumer driven operations. In addition to being the President and CEO of Bay Ridge Ford, for over a decade he also held these positions at Manhattan Automobile Company, a flagship showroom on Manhattan’s west side exclusively selling Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo vehicles. This venture marks the return of Mr. Flom to Brooklyn, where he emigrated to from Russia over 35 years ago, a place he called home for the majority of his childhood. His philanthropic activities include support of notable organizations such as God’s Love We Deliver, Russian American Foundation, Fisher House Foundation, Partnership for the Homeless, Explorer Club and the sponsorship of Brooklyn Bridge Academy. Mr. Flom is joined by Partner Veniamin Nilva, who also has roots in Brooklyn and brings significant business and automotive experience to this new venture.

About Bay Ridge Ford

Bay Ridge Ford is one of the first new Ford dealerships to open in the United States since the recession began. Its 7,500 square foot, state of the art showroom is located at 612 86th Street in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood. Temporarily the service and parts departments will be located at 2533 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223. The dealership plans to open a 30,000 square ft modern, high-tech permanent service and parts facility within the Brooklyn Army Terminal complex in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood. Bay Ridge Ford, Bay Ridge’s only authorized Ford retailer, places customer satisfaction and education at the forefront of their business operations.